Last sales bargains

You'd think the sales would now be completely over, but in the last weeks of January when the second or third reductions are applied by (desperate) retailers there are still plenty of even better bargains to be had.

In spite of knowing this, I'd promised myself that I'd not buy any more clothes or shoes or handbags in January, however good the bargains were.

But, but. Yesterday when trawling through the shops looking for a pair of warm boots for Husband, I couldn't stop my eyes wandering towards the Ladies' sales racks in each shoe shop. Finally at Russell & Bromley's I succumbed. And I found not one, but two pairs of real bargains.

The first pair I got were these grey kitten heeled courts. As it happens, I have a pair in black already (I've written before about my tendency towards serial shopping...). These were so cheap (I whispered the words to the sales assistant - it seems a bit unseemly to revel in what I can only see as their misfortune in having to sell shoes at these prices), that if they'd had any other colours, I swear I would have snapped them up too. I know they're not by Dolce & Gabbana, or Prada, or Jimmy Choo, but they are very comfortable to wear and look sexy too.

'Sugar' grey kitten heels, Sale price £39, down from £175.

My old 'Sugar' kitten heels, bought at full price £175 in November. Ouch.

Once I'd got going in the shop my thoughts turned to summer. I'd had to throw out a pair of skin-coloured wedges when we moved because they just looked too worn out. I needed a replacement. (See how the word, 'need', crops up at sale time?)

When I saw these espadrilles they reminded me of the kind of shoes that the models sported on the S/S 11 catwalks. They're also incredibly comfortable and I could see myself wearing them on the first warm day of summer with faded, flared jeans.

'Candy Girl' espadrilles in brown calf. Sale price £39, down from £110.

That's definitely it for the January sales as far as I'm concerned. Unless, of course there's a bargain that I just cannot resist....or I need something.